sent from: Mill Rd, Esher, Surrey, UK. destination: Santa Monica, California, USA

I’m probably keeping the Spanish postcard industry alive as I have bought hundreds through the years. Some, like this one, ended up as decoration. I’ve always loved the cards from Barco de Avila because they are picturesque, lovely with the Sierra de Gredos in the background, but more because they have fiercely resisted any attempt to modernise or refresh their stock, and the same cards that I bought in 1988 are still for sale in the local shops, faded and discoloured.

Little did I know when I bought this card all those years ago that Barco de Avila would be where I would get married.

This card is going to my friend who came to the wedding. We used to get lunch in LA all the time. Well, I say all the time, but it was around once a month that we managed to get the planets to align. He would listen patiently to whatever it was I was tearing myself up about that month, and he would dispense smart, insightful, compassionate advice. He is never far from my thoughts.